


Deep Down

by apostapal



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Deep sea creatures, Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Meet-Cute, Mer AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:35:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27212806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apostapal/pseuds/apostapal
Summary: A rare encounter between two very rare and unique mers leads to a wonderful, long lasting love affair.
Relationships: Reaper | Gabriel Reyes/Soldier: 76 | Jack Morrison
Comments: 8
Kudos: 81
Collections: Overwatch Fall Exchange 2020





	Deep Down

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RadioCybertron](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RadioCybertron/gifts).



> My part of the Overwatch 2020 Fall Exchange on Twitter! ❤️ I had a lot of fun with this one!

There isn’t much excitement in the depths usually.

There’s food. And usually a good deal of isolation. Occasionally the passing excitement of finding a partner to pass a few hours with in the dark. But this is about it.

So Jack’s intrigued when he sees a light in the distance.

It’s the oldest trick, of course, but to him it means there’s something else intelligent around. Something hunting. So he carefully makes his approach.

Eyes better than most below, the cephalopod spies the source of the light a ways off still. It’s an angler fish, the fellow displaying some rather beautiful glowing markings across his skin—like a visible skeletal structure popping out in the dark.

At first, Jack isn’t sure if he should approach. But the call of the light is worse than any siren. And the world stays much more boring the fewer people he goes to see.

He flashes his own lights, freckling lighting up across his tentacles. The other mer jumps, startled, and faces his direction.

“Who is it?” He demands more than asks. Something about it just makes Jack more interested.

“A friend,” Jack offers. “If you’d like one.”

No sense trying to eat someone his size. Maybe this one will want to “play”? He would so enjoy getting his tentacles on this pretty thing. Or at least a chance to have a conversation would be welcome.

The angler looks hesitant. Then lets out a little sigh, bubbles rising from his mouth.

“Come closer,” he says, tone warning. “Slowly. I can’t… see very well from this far.”

Jack swam closer, slow as requested, and took the time to look the fellow mer over. He was a sight; a true angler, tempting glow and beauty impossible to resist. As he gets nearer, he watches him narrow his eyes slowly.

“Octopus?” he asks slowly.

Jack gives a little flourishing bow. “You got me.”

The angler looks more curious. He swims just a little closer. “I’ve never seen one like you,” he remarks.

“We’re not common,” Jack replies with a shrug.

“What’s your name?”

“Jack.” He holds out a hand. The angler stares at it a moment before taking it. “You?”

There’s a moment of hesitation, then the angler answers him. “Gabriel…”

Jack considers the name, saying it once under his breath to test it on his tongue. He wants to know what it’d be like to say more. He likes it.

“Hungry?” Jack asks. The angler nods and he grins, sensing his ‘in’ for extended company. “I can show you somewhere.”

It’s a risk for Gabriel, Jack knows. Other mers will eat each other. But it’s an awful lot of trouble.

And Gabriel seems to know that too. So he nods.

“Show the way,” he says.

Jack holds out a tentacle to him and Gabriel pauses, looking confused, before gingerly taking it. Smiling, Jack leads him.

The following day, and then days after, were an exciting and unique experience all their own. Jack found himself regarding the angler with a certain amount of awe—of adoration. He couldn’t imagine what charms the divine creature saw in him. But he was blessed to have him near.

The hours spent sleeping together, Gabriel comfortably wrapped in his tentacles. The days spent together, simply resting and sharing one another’s light. The gift of every moment they had shared.

The soft noises he could pull from Gabriel, nibbling his neck and exploring his body with hands and tentacles alike. The desperate and excited way Gabriel returned the favor. The fact that it wasn’t a simple fling and instead the result of countless hours spent bonding. Everything about it was… mesmerizing. Awe inspiring. He hardly felt worthy

On one ‘morning’ (though the light never got far enough down to say, they simply considered when they woke hungry to be morning), Jack’s eyes opened to the low glow of their shared light inside their cavern. Floating with him, wrapped in his tentacles, Gabriel had tucked his face against Jack’s shoulder and was still asleep.

For a long moment, Jack simply enjoys the sight. He relishes in the slow, steady flow of water through Gabriel’s gills. The little shift of his face when Jack runs his nails gently through the hair on his neck, traveling up toward the top of his head and back down again.

“Wakey wakey,” he purrs, nuzzling at Gabriel’s temple. Gabriel whines and tucks his face harder against Jack’s shoulder. “Time to go hunting.”

Gabriel huffs. “No…” His voice is more whine than word. He clings tighter to Jack. “Not yet.”

Jack squeezes him tighter. He coils his tentacles more thoroughly around the other mer. In truth, he wants as little to do with leaving their little den as Gabriel does.

But they need food. The last few hunts they’d been on hadn’t been very fruitful at all. They had to find something soon before they got too hungry. And the earlier they started their hunt the better.

“My light,” he purrs, nuzzling against Gabriel’s cheek. “We need to get food.”

Gabriel shakes his head. “I’m fine,” he insists.

Just a little longer. Just a few more hours. Another stolen day. He never dreamed he’d be where he is now. And he wants to enjoy it as much as he can.

Jack slides a tentacle up to press over the tender area below Gabriel’s waist and the angler jumps a little, shivering. Jack laughs at the reaction and cups his face fondly.

“Awake enough for that but not hunting, are you?”

Gabriel blows water at his face, cheeks puffed up, and Jack laughs and swats him back. The octopus pulls him just a little closer.

“I like being touched by you,” Gabriel replies defensively, pouting. “I don’t usually enjoy hunting all that much.”

Jack laughs. “I can offer my services after, if you finish the request first.”

This, it seems, piques Gabriel’s interest. He leans against Jack, chin propped on his chest, and smiles seductively. “Show me a good time first,” he offers.

“We need fuel for this,” Jack counters, earning a sour look. “You know what that is…”

He laughs faintly and tucks Gabriel closer under his chin. He fits there so comfortably it charms Jack’s soul. Like they were made for one another.

“Ugh, fine,” Gabriel sighs, still nuzzled against his throat. “Same plan as we always do?”

Jack nods. After another sigh and a long stretch, Gabriel swims over to the exit of their little cavern and nods out of it. Jack joins him and they depart.

The nature of their new hunting style is unique. And modeled largely after the simple fact of how Jack came to be in his company in the first place. That tempting light—the beautiful aura cast around his form—is enough to draw in any number of creatures.

Today, Gabriel lazes around in the open, glowing proudly while Jack lingers just outside the aura and watches for what approaches. Mostly it’s small catches; various fish and shrimp, a single jellyfish that Gabriel shooed off in a huff after it had the nerve to sting him. It’s interesting but none are enough to particularly fill their desires.

Swimming into Gabriel’s light Jack sighs and reaches out a hand to pet his cheek. The angler leans into it readily. “Tough break,” he murmurs. “We still need to wait a bit longer for more.”

Gabriel groans in frustration at him. He’s clearly annoyed about being out for so long. But he knows as well as Jack that they have to do better than a few small fry.

“I want to go back to sleep,” he sighs, pouting openly.

Jack offers a sympathetic smile. “I know,” he replies. “Want to swap jobs?”

Usually, Jack didn’t make the best bait. Gabriel’s glow was stronger, more alluring. But he could at least stand in for a bit and give his beloved light a little break.

This seems to please Gabriel well enough, who huffs and nods. He nuzzles a kiss against Jack’s cheek before moving off into the shadows and banishing the glow from his skin. Jack brings his to the surface, putting all he has into it, and watches the light dance in the water around him.

Gabriel’s complimented his glow before. Waxed poetic about how much he likes the way the spots freckle his skin, trailing up and down each tentacle. Before him, Jack had always found the trait to be rather lackluster. Gabriel made him sound almost comparable to his own loveliness. (Not that Jack saw any comparison himself.)

As if sensing Jack’s thoughts, Gabriel moves just within sight in the darkness and catches his eye. When he does, he blows a kiss to the other mer.

Jack smiles and motions like he’s catching it, tucking his fist to his chest affectionately after. Gabriel smiles, eyes twinkling, and slips back into the shadows.

How he adores that man. How awed he is that every moment he spends with him is so lovely, so comfortable, so very right.

Briefly, his mind wanders. To the time in their den. To lazy hours spent resting. To what Gabriel will likely want from him once they’re done hunting and back safe and cozy. To how much he wants to abandon the efforts to get to that sooner but simply knows better.

(The way Gabriel squirmed and shivered in his hold that morning. The soft sound he’d made. It truly wasn’t fair in the end.)

“Jack,” Gabriel whispers from the darkness. “You’re going to miss out on prey if you don’t pay attention.”

Jumping slightly, Jack looks around. A few fish are lingering near the outside of the glowing area. Focusing himself, he makes the glow brighter and they swim nearer. It doesn’t take much more than his quick reflexes before he snatches them up.

After collecting a few more larger fish they finally turn in for the day. Back at the den, Gabriel tucks himself against Jack’s chest immediately as he pokes through the fish they’d brought home before holding one up to the angler’s mouth.

“Eat,” he tells him.

Gabriel makes a face, shifting back a little. “But—“

Jack unceremoniously shoves the fish into his open mouth as he tries to speak. Gabriel makes an offended noise and pulls back to glare at him. Still, he takes the bite and then a second and so-on as Jack eats his own meal.

“You’re such a bully,” he sighs. He waves his half eaten fish in Jack’s face. “I don’t even like this kind.”

Jack laughs. “You have to take what we can get. Maybe next time we’ll go see about getting something from that whale fall further down.”

This perks Gabriel up a little. He takes another bite and swallows hard before nodding. “I need something with more fat,” he tells Jack. “These things are mostly bone.”

They’re not perfect, but they work in a pinch. And once they’ve finished their haul it’ll be enough to get them by until they can go gather something more. Some whale fat and maybe a few slower starfish and urchins will do them both a world of good.

For now, however, he settles in to enjoy the digestion of his meal and beckons for Gabriel to snuggle into his arms again. The angler does, but immediately puts on a little sulky look.

“You said we could have some fun,” he grumbles, even as he rubs affectionately at Jack’s chest.

Jack chuckles and presses a kiss to the top of his head. “You only want me for my body, I swear,” he teases.

Rolling his eyes, Gabriel swats at his chest. “You know I love you,” he says.

The octopus grins. “I do,” he says, “but I do enjoy hearing about it more often.”

“How often should I say?” Gabriel asks. “Would you like me to punctuate everything I say with it? I love you, by the way.”

Jack’s grin grows wider. “It’s a start.”

Gabriel swats his chest again. “I’m not doing that,” he tells him. “But I do love you.”

“Well, it’s something,” Jack hums, chuckling softly. “I love you too.”

The start they’d had had been… unexpected. Unique. Their continued shared company felt nearly impossible. But here they were. And here they remained. And Jack intended to show his appreciation for it as thoroughly as he could.

He already made it known how much he adored Gabriel. And well, that was a good start.


End file.
